New York criminal

defense attorney Robert Simels is a legend in legal circles for having represented

everyone from Southeast Queens drug kingpin Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols to mobster

Henry Hill, the real-life mobster who was the inspiration for Goodfellas.

Until recently,

he was also the attorney for Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff and he spoke exclusively

with AllHipHop.com about the government’s case against Murder Inc. Like Raekwon

and Ghost, AllHipHop delves into criminology.

AllHipHop.com: Can you tell me why you’re no longer representing Supreme?

Robert Simels: I can’t comment on that. There are a variety of factors.

AllHipHop.com: Are you still in touch with him? What are his spirits like?

Robert Simels: We’re in touch, yes. He’s not doing too badly. It’s hard, obviously,

when you think you’re innocent, to be sitting in jail. But he feels he’ll have

his day in court.

AllHipHop.com: I’m wondering what you think of the recent release of the pager

transcripts between Supreme and Irv and Chris?

Robert Simels: It’s much ado about nothing. When you read the conversations

in their entirety, all that’s being conveyed by Mr. McGriff, is that he wants

to make sure a proper investigation is conducted and that there are sufficient

funds for his defense. But when you read the sections that the government released,

it seems much more sensational.

AllHipHop.com: I’m glad you mentioned Supreme’s funds because his attorney just

filed a document claiming that he is indigent and needs a court appointed attorney.

Robert Simels: I heard about that. It will be interesting to see if the government

opposes that position.

AllHipHop.com: Why would they oppose that claim?

Robert Simels: Because the concept of the current prosecution is that Mr. McGriff

has vast assets at his disposal which he was able to launder. I guess the government

could claim that he spent all his money, but that seems like a stretch.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the government’s case against Supreme and Murder

Inc. It seems like the government started out with the idea that they had a

vast drug trafficking conspiracy between Murder Inc. and Supreme, but ended

up with a narrow money laundering case against the label…

Robert Simels: Generally speaking, the government tends to look at the larger

picture at the beginning of a case, and then narrows down to something much

smaller. You’re seeing that happen in Washington right now [with the indictment

of Dick Cheney’s chief of staff I. Lewis Libby on obstruction of justice charges

related to the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame]. The initial allegations in

the Murder Inc. search-warrant in 2003, spoke of a much larger claim-but they

ultimately narrowed the case down to a much different picture. They started

out saying that Mr. McGriff was the funding agent for Murder Inc., and now they’re

saying that he laundered some money through a movie [Crime Partners].

AllHipHop.com: But in a recent filing the government seemed to stand by its

claim that Supreme funded Murder Inc…

Robert Simels: That position is at odds with the forensic evidence. Murder Inc.

undertook an extensive forensic audit of their financial records, which took

over two years and that is not what they found.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of claims that seem hard to justify, it’s difficult

for me to understand how the government can make claims-that Irv and Chris put

50 Cent under surveillance and that Supreme had 50 shot in 2000-yet not actually

charge these individuals with crimes related to those allegations.

Robert Simels: The government does this quite frequently. The rules of the grand

jury stipulate that the government can investigate all rumor and innuendo to

see if someone has committed a crime. If the rumors do not prove to be true,

and the person is not charged, then the government’s stance is, “Well, if you

didn’t get charged then you ought to feel happy.” Obviously, the persons besmirched

by such allegations do not feel that way.

AllHipHop.com: Is there any legal recourse for Irv and Chris to rectify the

record when it comes to these allegations?

Robert Simels: It’s hard. You have to prove that the government made the claims

maliciously and with malevolence. That’s a very high standard to prove for a

public official. And once a grand jury returns an indictment [as they did in

the Murder Inc. case], it’s almost impossible to sue a prosecutor. The government’s

claim is that the grand jury confirmed the prosecutor’s intentions.

AllHipHop.com: Yet in a recent filing with the US Attorney’s office Irv and

Chris’ attorneys argued that the judge should throw out all evidence related

to the search of Murder Inc’s offices because the search was based on incorrect

information in the original search warrant affidavit.

Robert Simels: Well, I’m sure the government’s take will be that the general

overview of what was in the affidavit was believed to be true. They might admit

that mistakes were made but they’re going to argue that those mistakes shouldn’t

matter because they acted in good faith.

AllHipHop.com: If you were acting as Irv and Chris’ attorney, would you make

a big point of bringing the government’s mistakes to the jury’s attention?

Robert Simels: I’d never second-guess strategy by Gerald Shargel and Gerald

Lefcourt-they’re great attorneys. But this is certainly something that has been

on mind since the beginning of the investigation: how many times government

made statements that were clearly erroneous, and how we could use those statements

in court.

AllHipHop.com: Pulling back a little bit: the government claims that the Murder

Inc. case has never been about Hip-Hop or the Hip-Hop industry. What’s your

view?

Robert Simels: That would not be my view. It’s always been about the Hip-Hop

industry. In this particular case, prosecutors talked a lot about the language

of Rap recordings, or they would take an interview where Irv Lorenzo said how

much he cared for Mr. McGriff, and use that as evidence that he used Mr. McGriff’s

reputation as ‘muscle’ in the music industry.

AllHipHop.com: Could the government introduce Hip-Hop lyrics as evidence in

this trial?

Robert Simels: I could envision a circumstance where that would be relevant.

Certainly, the number of times where Mr. McGriff is referenced in songs is worth

knowing. So, the answer is: possibly.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve represented Supreme, Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols and Thomas

“Tony Montana” Mickens. Why do you think they’ve turned into such a major reference

point for rappers?

Robert Simels: During the 1980s, these men made a historic impact on their neighborhoods.

When I say ‘historic,’ by the way, I don’t mean good. But it was historic nonetheless,

and now they have become mythologized. So now rappers use these names from the

1980s to advance their own careers. Some have criticized this, but I’m sure

if you asked Mr. Jackson [50 Cent] he’d probably say that he’s making 50 million

a year this way, so it doesn’t matter.

AllHipHop.com: I’m glad you brought up 50. There’s been so much speculation

about his possible role as an informant in the Murder Inc. case. What’s your

take?

Robert Simels: It’s hard to say. But looking at documents, there are some documents

where the government does seem to be relying on his lyrics. And when the feds

interviewed him he said, “Read my lyrics.” So, was he a source? I don’t know.

His lyrics could have just been used by a misguided IRS agent.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think 50’s constant referencing of Supreme in his songs

helped put Supreme back on law enforcement’s radar after he was released from

prison in the mid-1990s? Or do you think the government never took their eyes

of off him?

Robert Simels: I think one driving factor behind this case is that the prosecution

and various law enforcement agencies were very unsatisfied with the sentence

I negotiated for Supreme in the late 1980s [Supreme received 12 years in prison].

Sadly, I think that in the end, Mr. McGriff would have been better off serving

a longer sentence; maybe he wouldn’t have been subjected to all this.

AllHipHop.com: Will Hip-Hop execs take a much more cautious approach in working

with former street guys if a guilty verdict is delivered in the Murder Inc.

case?

Robert Simels: That’s way too speculative a question. I’m hopeful that Irv and

Chris will be acquitted. I don’t know why anybody would reject someone just

because of their background. Everyone is entitled to make that jump to a legitimate

life, right?

Mack 10 is at a crossroads. Since day one, critics have compared his style and based his merits upon a close relationship with Ice Cube. But without Cube, Mack has released a series of an albums, some memorable, others not. But while his peers have faded or fallen, the Inglewood veteran continues to maintain a celebrity profile while working steadily.

With a revamped Hoo-Bangin’ Records, a new album – Hustler’s Handbook, and a lot of attention in the West, 2006 promises plenty. Looking ahead and looking back, Mack reflects on his business relations, the T-Boz rumors, and announces the end of West Side Connection. With or without his brethren, Mack remains a “Chicken Hawk” in the game – grabbing up new fans often.

AllHipHop.com: I recently heard Ms. Jones was gushing all over you on the radio talking about your “powerful presence.” Does that affect your gangsta, being viewed as a sex symbol?

Mack 10: Oh she was being nice? That’s cool, it’s good to be too sexy and too gangsta at the same time. Although, I guess for a woman you can ever be too much of either.

AllHipHop.com: What’s going on with Hoo-Bangin records?

Mack 10: Hoo-Bangin records next year will be our 10th year anniversary.

AllHipHop.com: You really brought out an interesting roster in the late 90’s. What’s your current roster?

Mack 10: It’s myself, I have an artist from Brooklyn called Red Café. He got that song that they’re playing in New York real heavy right now, that “Bling Blow” song with Fabolous, and West side Connection. But [we’re] done – we’re not doing no more West Side Connection s**t.

AllHipHop.com: Why not?

Mack 10: Because everybody’s doing their own thing, ya know.

AllHipHop.com: But everything is still good between everybody?

Mack 10: I mean, I haven’t spoken to anybody, so I guess its cool. Everybody is just doing their own thing.

AllHipHop.com: There appears to such an unwillingness for West Coast artists to work with each other sometimes, do you agree?

Mack 10: Oh, I completely agree, I comment on that all the time.

AllHipHop.com: Westside Connection are three hustling, highly intelligent, highly creative businessmen. What are the factors that come into play that start to mess up relationships like that?

Mack 10: I don’t know, I guess just egos and power. I guess that’s probably a few things that could break up groups.

AllHipHop.com: But if you know that, why is it so hard?

Mack 10: You still can’t always help it, everybody don’t just brush s**t off real easy.

AllHipHop.com: Well I’m not talking about everyone else right now I’m talking about you, specifically. Someone has to be the bigger person and be humble, is it that hard for you to swallow your pride?

Mack 10: I think that’s with any man. Because with me, I ain’t gotta be all that. But I’m gonna remain a man, and I gotta be that. I don’t compromise that for no amount of money, no nothing. I don’t know how to kiss ass or none of that. I just don’t know how to do that.

AllHipHop.com: How do you manage to find a balance?

Mack 10: Because I’m a real n***a, I’m from these streets for real. A lot of these n***as that rap ain’t really from the streets. These n***as is entertainers, I’m not really an industry n***a, I just know how to rap.

AllHipHop.com: Is it really possible to separate your ties to the streets once you become a rapper?

Mack 10: Naw, you can never erase where you come from. You might not end up there, but you can’t erase where you’re from, and [Inglewood is] where I’m from. Am I going to the hood hangin out and all that? No, I’m grown. I have three beautiful kids that love me, so hell naw! But at the same time, people don’t really understand that when you’re a street n***a, it don’t necessarily mean that you’re with that bulls**t, you know what I mean just who I am as a person my morals my ethics everything I live by that.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of the streets, how do you feel about how Game’s affiliation with Bloods cast a new light on your gang?

Mack 10: Well, me and [DJ] Quik always represented the Red, so it’s nothing new. I don’t think it’s something he did on purpose. I think it just so happened to be that’s what side of the tracks he’s from and he just happens to be a new artist with a lot of attention focused on him.

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about him?

Mack 10: I don’t know him, but I’m proud of him. He’s a youngster getting his money, at least he should be, and he has a successful album so he’s good, but I don’t really speak bad on people I don’t really know.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve been doing this for over a decade like you mentioned, what are some highlights for you of the past ten years with respect to your career?

Mack 10: I’m proud that I’ve been successful, and I realize that I’m blessed and I did it all without compromising my integrity or my manhood. I haven’t sold out to the industry or to nothing else. I’ll never sell my soul to none of that s**t. I’m always gonna stand up and be God-fearing and a regular dude. I’m never gonna flip the script and become Hollywood like I’m not normal no more.

AllHipHop.com: But has it been an easy transition for you?

Mack 10: Yeah, I’ve been doing this s**t for over a decade, there has to be some balance.

AllHipHop.com: The Hoo-Bangin’ artists and your associations have changed over the years. How do you handle the lost friends along the way?

Mack 10: Oh, believe I’ve experienced that and that s**t is crazy. But real friends, money could never get involved. If a n***a is really your partner, there shouldn’t ever be any amount of money that can f**k that up, not unless a n***a go bad and start stealin’ from you and s**t, then they never really was your partner anyways.

AllHipHop.com: Some of your former artists have told us that they weren’t pleased with your business ethics at times. Looking back professionally, what would you change, if you could?

Mack 10: I would’ve kept it all business, and I wouldn’t have put my heart into it. I would have made no friendship or nothing like that because friendship is something serious, and that s**t is like when you really consider someone your partner, it ain’t supposed to be none of that bulls**t.

AllHipHop.com: Is there anyone on the West Coast that you’d like to see reconcile?

Mack 10: I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it. I guess Snoop and Dre and all the Dogg Pound [dudes].

AllHipHop.com: I think I’d like to see all of you guys together.

Mack 10: [prolonged silence, then laughter] I don’t have a problem with nobody. I don’t do Rap beefs, n***as handle theirs the way they handle theirs, I just don’t believe in it.

AllHipHop.com: Does T-Boz listen to and critique your music?

Mack 10: I mean, if I ask her, she’ll keep it real. She’ll tell me whether she likes it or not.

AllHipHop.com: Do you do the same to her?

Mack 10: Oh, believe that.

AllHipHop.com: I’m glad to hear you guys are back together, do you mind talking about what happened?

Mack 10: It’s like this: I really don’t talk about that because I’ve been doing music for over ten years, and I feel like if we keep interviewing, we can find other stuff to talk about.

AllHipHop.com: I appreciate that, but you have to understand that you have female fans to that might have found some issue with what went down.

Mack 10: Yeah, just know this: everything gets blown completely out of proportion just because of who we are. And I’ll just leave it at that. I’m not going to point any fingers and say she did this, or I said that, we’ll just leave it at that.

AllHipHop.com: Okay, but did you hit her?

Mack 10: No, I don’t get down like that. And believe me, a n***a, especially a rapper living in the country, accused of hitting his wife is going to jail. Believe it, and you didn’t hear anything about me going to jail in Georgia at that. You think a n***a ain’t goin to jail?

Brooklyn’s Red Café has patiently waited his turn. From a five-year bid, to uniting with 50 Cent and DJ Whoo-Kid, now to aligning with Mack 10 to attempt to make history. In all of these movements in phases, Red clearly can, I Got a Story To Tell.

Like the title of his forthcoming Hoo-Bangin’/Capitol release featuring Fat Joe, Irv Gotti, and others – Red Café tells AllHipHop.com some things. From his view on New York gang culture, to Cormega’s boxing skills, to early 50 Cent, Red Café keeps it gully. Read up.

AllHipHop.com: You were locked up from ’92 to ’97. What was your prison term like?

Red Café: You can’t be a sucker or you can be, my choice was to be no sucker. So I still had to be pretty much rowdy in the joint. But you got a lot more time to think about a lot of s**t. You around a lot of old-timers, you learn a lot from them n***as, because they’re never coming home. For me, I learned a lot, I came home with a plan. When I came home, I hit the street and got my ones up. I hooked up with my dude [Chris] Lighty [of Violator]. I was in a group called The Franchise.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, unfortunately their parent company Loud Records folded.

Red Café: Yeah Loud closed. Then Violator was in limbo, and me and the group was just going through it. N##### wasn’t comfortable, we weren’t happy. So I stepped out the box, and I started to do me. I hooked up with Whoo Kid. Me, Whoo Kid, and 50 [Cent] got on our grind, and we created a whole new movement. That’s what got 50 hot. After that, that’s when the war for my solo deal started. I had offers from everybody and ended up at Trackmasters/Arista.

AllHipHop.com: Around the same time you signed with Arista, 50 started to blow. A lot of people were saying that everyone was trying to find their 50 replica. Did you ever feel that pressure?

Red Café: I from the street, 50 from the street. We were grinding at the same time. He from Queens and I’m from Brooklyn. There’s real n##### all across the country. It just so happen we had similar avenues. My nails is really really dirty though. The music was changing, the eras changed. When it was happy with Puff, then you had the more street era that came after it and is here now. People just say that because his album came out before mine did. People that didn’t know no better.

AllHipHop.com: Do you still rock with Whoo kid and 50 like that?

Red Café: When I see them, we talk. It’s all good. Those n***as is running, they on tour forever. I’d seen them at the concert, it was all good. I love what they are doing.

AllHipHop.com: What was your interaction with some of the rappers you bumped into while incarcerated in various prisons?

Red Café: That was all good. Littles even wasn’t really rapping then. Lakey neither. He started out later in his bid. [Cormega] was. Me and ‘Mega was banging out together even when we came home. Maino had a lot of time in his hands, so he got into it later in his bid.

AllHipHop.com: Real talk, was Mega really nice with the boxing when he was locked up?

Red Café: Yeah Mega was nice! [Laughs] Me and that n***a were in the same joint. He was undefeated.

AllHipHop.com: Did you box as well?

Red Café: Nah, I didn’t box too. Not in the ring [laughs]. In the south yard, I was boxing.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think New York will ever come back to its prominence? The South is running it right now.

Red Café: The South is doing its thing because the South stick together. We don’t stick together. That’s the number one problem. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. That’s why I did that song “Bling Bloaw” with Fabolous. I’m from Brooklyn, he’s from Brooklyn. There’s no more ”Symphonies” anymore. When I’m at home, I want to hear my s**t and some other New York s**t. For my remix, I am putting another New York artist on the remix for “Bling Blaow.”

AllHipHop.com: Who you getting for the remix?

Red Café: I got a big name; I don’t even want to mention it. A big name, if you don’t get Jay-Z, whatever is the next biggest name after, that is who I am getting.

AllHipHop.com: How did you hook up with Mack 10?

Red Café: Mack 10 f**ks with some don n##### from out here, some old school n***as that are G’s and get money. Those n***as know me and how I get down, they know a n***a from the street. We met from that. I never shopped a deal. He came to me like, “Am I out of the Arista s**t?” Once Arista went under, I ducked BMG. They wanted my music. They don’ know what to do with me. I’m a gangster n***a; I’m toting guns and s**t. He thought it would be real for an East Coast n***a to f**k with a West Coast n***a like him. We talked about it a little bit more, and the numbers made sense.

AllHipHop.com: How much creative control do you have in this situation?

Red Cafe: I got all the creative control. I’m from the East Coast, and I got to make East Coast music. Then make the West accept it, and they going to accept it on the strength I’m f**king with [Mack 10]. I got a couple of West Coast producers; I got Fred Wreck producing a record. I got a record with Battlecat. I got Kwame, Irv Gotti, and Jimi Kendrix too.

AllHipHop.com: You’re throwing the word ‘gangster’ around a lot, what’s your definition of a G?

Red Café: My definition of a G is different on how I’m using it in this conversation. I had an opportunity to really be on the West Coast and live in the coast to really see what gangsters and what gangbanging are. These n***as out here got it all the way confused. Gangsters are based on organized crime. Let’s say I need you to f**k up some dude, and he gets f**ked up in 20 minutes. If I need you to get some money from this dude and he’s not giving it up, you know what to do. The s**t we are not supposed to do, but we are doing it with a structure. That’s what gangsters do. The gang is organized, there’s a leader, or there’s a boss and s**t gets done in an organized fashion. If that’s not what you got going on, you’re not a gangster and you ain’t in a gang.

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about New York embracing the Red and Blue so heavy?

Red Café: I don’t know man, I never seen New York as followers. I think New York is fascinated by the West Coast. When they did Paid in Full, that s**t was hard to me. I appreciated that s**t. It was hood s**t, showcasing n***as getting money in New York, as opposed to seeing Menace To Society and Boyz In Da Hood all the time. Since they show it to us so much, we got caught up. The n***as I f**k with is OG’s, for real. The Bloods f**k with the Crips, if it’s about money, they’ll f**k with each other. It’s not to the point where’s about killing each other anymore. But for New Yorkers who don’t understand it and jump into it, that’s crazy to me.

Ray Benzino might be setting up his personal Tet Offensive, a series of aggressive moves in his long running war again “the machine.” And like the famous strategy in a war torn 1960’s Vietnam, Benzino hopes to topple his adversaries in a spectacular fashion and drive them out of Hip-Hop for the good of the culture.

If this offensive is to work, Boston native must contend with a number of obstacles from his cumbersome work as The Source’s Co-Owner/ Chief Brand Manager to and his plethora of enemies and his other affairs.

Rumors have swirled of The Source’s financial woes, sale, and eviction. If that weren’t enough, Benzino and the magazine have not only criticized G-Unit for [being agents of the corporate machine?], but also accuse radio heavyweights like Funkmaster Flex of accepting pay for play. Although his foes deny the charges, ‘Zino is pursuing them using every weapon in his arsenal. Read the war report from Zino’s uniquely abrasive perspective.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s touch on the issue of The Source and bankruptcy, what is really going on?

Benzino: We are definitely not filing bankruptcy, that’s a lie. Dave has been handling the finances since day one. What happened is he took out a loan to get in on the Internet stuff; the next thing you know we are indebted to this bank because of the high interest rate. It’s funny that in Hip-Hop, everyone has money except for the artists. There is a big corporate machine that basically exploits our music and our artists, and this is exactly like one of those situations where corporate America thought they could get over.

AllHipHop.com: Besides the issue of bankruptcy, there is also speculation that financial troubles is leading to an eviction of The Source at your 23rd street office in New York.

Benzino: We are not being evicted. We are just looking for a smaller

space because we aren’t using it. There is no reason to continue paying for a space that we aren’t using, so we are in the process of shopping around.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of businesses – many are still wondering why you are still beefing with artists at Aftermath?

Benzino: You know what we have explained the issue with Eminem and Jimmy Iovine repeatedly. I really can’t understand how he can be rated one of the top rated MC’s when he is exploiting our music. I mean, it’s crazy because we have beef with Interscope, who basically has everything locked down. People won’t advertise with us. So we decided to go through a restructure just like any other business. But everyone wants to talk about The Source, but everyone wants a business like The Source, I hate the fact that we get criticized for promoting ourselves. If you look at it, we aren’t doing anything different than Russell Simmons or Damon Dash. Honestly, if you wear two hats, of course you’re going to cross-promote between the two.

AllHipHop.com: Recently there has been a lot of friction between you and Funkmaster Flex, what’s the issue and how did that start?

Benzino: First off, I would like to say there is no beef. He talks a lot

of trash [on air at Hot 97] and when he leaves, he has a group of

security guards, but one day he is going to slip and when we do collide you are going to hear about it.

AllHipHop.com: Touching on another subject dealing with the payola scandals, what is the deal behind this lawsuit you are filing against the industry?

Benzino: We are filing a lawsuit against the major forces in the

industry for the middle-man, because it’s the middle man who doesn’t get their artists played in a major market like New York – because they aren’t paying. We are linking up with all the

artists and managers, anyone who has tried honestly to get they stuff heard and couldn’t because they wasn’t paying. In all honesty, Flex thought he was going to be gone a long time ago because of the payola. I ain’t going to lie, I used to pay Flex back in the day, but now because he down with G-Unit he want to trip, b*tch please. That’s why I am telling you, if we ever met up, it’s a wrap.

AllHipHop.com: A lot if people have been coming down on The Source not because of the “G-U-Not” issue, but because the attack seems to have been going on for a long time now.

Benzino: We basically are taking a stand, but while everyone points out the fact we are standing up, no one is saying anything about XXL being bought out to put them on the cover every month.

AllHipHop.com: Steve Stoute has been on Hot 97 talking about he loaned Dave Mays money for The Source and he’s made reference to the fact that he is in the process of looking into buying The Source.

Benzino: Steve has always been on Dave’s d**k. He’s on Hot 97 lying. Notice how he’s saying, “He was going to buy The Source,” he wasn’t going to do nothing. We bought his house back in the day when he was in trouble, and turned it into the Made Men headquarters, I mean this is the same guy that was chased by Foxy Brown and smacked across the head by Diddy; so he has always been a peon. The best description I have for Steve Stoute is a crab who jumps on everybody’s d**k. Dave borrowed $500,000 from him and gave it back to him, then he tried to ask for $100,000 in interest. Put it like this: anyone who mentions my name will get the business. Chubby Chubb got it, DJ Enuff apologized, so it’s over. But next time I see Flex and Tony Yay,o it’s on. I want everyone to know that Flex and Tony Yayo aren’t allowed in

Boston.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking on Tony Yayo, what happened with him being on the cover of The Source?

Benzino: Tony Yayo saw me in South Beach, ran across the street and started talking that trash about how 50 best not be on the cover.

AllHipHop.com: What happened to The Source Awards and is it going to be held again?

Benzino: UPN had it for a year, but UPN was really scared of the Hip-Hop audience. Too many people say they support the craft, but then they turn their back on it. I mean now they do the Vibe awards, which is some cookie cutter bulls**t; some stuff for Steve Stoute and Russell Simmons. They are too busy trying to reach a suburban audience, that they aren’t paying attention to the ‘hood. But we are in the process of taking The Source Awards to another network, so we are looking at hosting it in January of 2006.

AllHipHop.com: So what happened at BET?

Benzino: The same thing that happened to Free and AJ, the same people that had problems with them is who we have issues with. I mean there is so much stuff going on with them up there that it’ crazy. You got Scott Mills who has a family, dating some guy in the legal department and he was the main one with issues about Dave and I showing up at our own awards show. So you best believe that is one case that we will win in court, because the contract we had with BET was straight black and white and it was for three years, so I am waiting for that day in court.

AllHipHop.com: Is there anyone else you want to air out that has been putting you on blast?

Benzino: I mean everyone over at Hot 97, Angie Martinez she talks all that s**t. You know what, here is a contest: I got $97.00 for anyone who can guess who the father of her baby is.

AllHipHop.com: Other than issues with side talking, what’s next for Benzino?

Benzino: Right now the next issue of The Source is taking an in-depth look at Hip-Hop behind bars, we are in the process of releasing a Source sponsored Hip-Hop hits album with Warner Music. We have launched three additions to The Source Magazine family which is The Source Latino, The

Source France, and The Source Japan and last but least we have The Source ringtones. So we are definitely doing it big and not going for broke.